


the father problem

by rhododaktylos_yue



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Crack, Crack Taken Seriously, M/M, Pre-Zukka, Zuko has an (obvs unrequited) crush on Hakoda, and Sokka is slow to figure it out, post-Boiling Rock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26621185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhododaktylos_yue/pseuds/rhododaktylos_yue
Summary: Based on this prompt: “What if post boiling rock Zuko avoids Hakoda not cause of his Father Trauma but cause he just finds him too hot to function around and eventually sokka catches on and cant decide between teasing zuko that he thinks his dad is hot or being grossed out”Or: Hakoda is hot, and Zuko is in hell. Or, I guess, the boiling rock, ‘cuz he’s in hot water. (ba dum tss)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 78
Kudos: 526





	the father problem

Sokka wasn’t surprised when, the moment that they landed at the Western Air Temple, Zuko was already slinking away.

Sokka couldn’t worry about it, though. He was too glad to have his dad back.

“How are you here? What is going on? Where did you go?” Katara’s rapid-fire questions successfully distracted Sokka from the Zuko issue.

“We kind of went to a Fire Nation prison,” Sokka said.

“Seriously? You guys didn’t find any meat?” Toph asked.

“There weren’t any fish in the boiling lake.”

“Okay, you have to tell us everything,” Katara said, dragging Hakoda over to their campsite. Sokka, unwilling to let go of his dad’s arm even for a moment, came along, too.

Suki sat next to him, and Sokka slung his arm around her shoulders. Was he misreading this? He hadn’t actually had a chance to ask her if they were still a couple.

She leaned into him, though, so they were probably okay.

Sokka recounted how Zuko had insisted on coming along, how they’d found Suki and devised their first escape plan, and how he’d almost given up and left then, but Zuko had persuaded him to keep trying.

Hakoda jumped in when Sokka described first spotting him step off the gondola.

“Where were you before?” Katara asked.

“In a lower-security prison, with Bato and the others,” Hakoda said. “But apparently I have a tendency to cause trouble.”

Hakoda smirked a little at that. As someone who regularly caused trouble for the Fire Nation, Sokka understood his dad’s pride in it.

“Is Bato okay?” Katara asked.

Hakoda nodded. “Yeah, he’s fine. We’re all fine.”

Katara breathed a sigh of relief, and Sokka understood that, too.

“So how did you guys get out?” Aang asked.

“A prison riot,” Sokka said, before launching into a description of how they tried to start a riot - and failed, before Chit Sang stepped in - and then how Suki kidnapped the warden. “She was amazing.”

Suki blushed.

“But we wouldn’t have made it if Zuko hadn’t broken the lever to call the gondola back. He helped me fight off Azula, too,” Sokka said. “Oh, and then they were going to cut the line, but Mai stopped them.”

“Wait. Mai betrayed Azula?” Toph asked.

“Yep.”

“What happened to her?” Katara asked, alarmed.

Sokka shrugged. “We don’t know.”

“Zuko must be worried about her,” Suki said. She bumped against Sokka gently. “You should go talk to him.”

Sokka nodded. He was reluctant to leave his dad’s side (or Suki’s, for that matter), but he owed it to Zuko.

Sokka heard Katara laughing as he walked away from the campfire, though, and he smiled to himself.

He navigated the halls towards Zuko’s room - away from all the others - and knocked on the half-open door.

“Come in,” Zuko called out, and Sokka pushed the door slightly. It swung open.

Zuko was lying on the bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

“Hey,” Sokka said.

“Hey,” Zuko said. He didn’t move.

“I wanted to thank you for helping me get my dad back,” Sokka began. “I really misjudged you, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help.”

“Oh.” Zuko sat up then. He hung his arms around his knees, gripping his wrist. “Um, you’re welcome.”

“You can join us,” he offered.

Zuko shook his head. “No thanks.”

Sokka hesitated; he wasn’t sure how to phrase this next part. “Mai’s pretty terrifying.”

Zuko raised an eyebrow at him.

“I mean, she can take care of herself,” Sokka added.

“I know,” Zuko said. “Azula’s terrifying, too.”

“Yeah.” Sokka couldn’t really disagree with that.

“I can’t do anything to help Mai now. Worrying about her is pointless.” Zuko turned his head away. “We need to focus on defeating my father.”

Oh. Was that why Zuko was holed up in his room? Father issues, perhaps brought on by meeting Sokka’s own father?

Sokka should try to assuage his anxieties. “Well, I think you’ve convinced  _ my  _ dad to trust you. I think you really impressed him.”

Zuko blushed, and was it seriously that easy to embarrass him with parental affection? Zuko needed as much time with Hakoda as possible, to get him used to being praised. To give him a healthy relationship with a father figure.

“Come hang out with us?” Sokka tried.

Zuko shook his head. “I’m going to get some sleep.”

“Okay.”

“Thanks.” Zuko smiled at him. Zuko looked nice when he smiled, and it made something in Sokka’s chest squeeze. Weird.

“For what?” Sokka asked.

“For forgiving me, I guess.”

“Well,” Sokka said. “You earned it.”

He left Zuko to his alone time, already scheming to bring Hakoda and Zuko together for some real, quality bonding.

\---

The first item on Sokka’s checklist - a literal checklist, which Sokka wrote out in the dirt before he scuffed it up so no one could read it - was to check that Zuko was actually uncomfortable around Hakoda.

After less than a day of collecting evidence, Sokka was convinced.

At breakfast, a sleepy Zuko immediately became wary and alert when Hakoda entered - also half-asleep, his hair tousled and his shirt only half-pulled on - and when Hakoda sat next to him, Zuko dropped his spoon.

Sokka managed to talk Zuko into sparring with him in the afternoon, and when Hakoda came to watch that, complimenting both boys on their form, Zuko started messing up a lot more, and his gaze kept flitting over to Hakoda. Finally, Sokka called off sword practice. Zuko was too easy to fight like this, there was no challenge to it.

Dinner wasn’t quite as bad as breakfast, but still, Zuko seemed tense the whole time.

The verdict was clear: Zuko was terrified of Sokka’s dad.

\---

The easiest way to provide some parental affection for Zuko was to explain the situation to Hakoda.

“I don’t think the guy’s received a lot of praise, you know?” Sokka said. “From his dad, I mean.”

Hakoda nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Just like, a friendly pat on the shoulder, maybe?” Sokka suggested. “Something like that.”

“I think it’s good that you’re looking out for your friend like this,” Hakoda said, clapping Sokka on the shoulder.

“That’s perfect!”

“It was a real compliment, Sokka.”

Sokka pushed his father towards where Zuko was instructing Aang. “Yeah, yeah, go compliment Zuko.”

“Now?”

“Yeah!”

With a deep breath, Hakoda approached Zuko and Aang. Sokka hid behind a column to watch.

Zuko paused in showing Aang a form.

“Don’t mind me,” Sokka heard his dad say.

“Uh, okay.” Zuko went back to showing Aang the form. “You’re going to want to inhale,” he brought his hands up to emphasize the deep breath in, “and then it’s a sharp exhale.” Zuko punched forward. A fireball blasted from his fist and arched over the canyon.

Aang copied the motion, resulting in a smaller but similar fireball. “Yeah, I think I get it. It’s like you said: the power is coming from the breath.”

“Exactly.”

Aang tried the form again. This time the fireball was bigger.

“Nice,” Zuko told Aang. “You’re a good student.”

“Thanks!” Aang beamed at Zuko.

“You’re a good teacher,” Hakoda said, and Zuko froze.

“Uh, thanks?” Zuko said, but Sokka could see the blush overtaking Zuko’s face from his hiding spot. Zuko scratched the back of his neck.

“I was skeptical when Sokka told me you’d joined our side, but I can see why he has faith in you,” Hakoda continued.

Perfect.

The pink was spreading down onto Zuko’s shoulders and his chest now, easily visible since both he and Aang were shirtless, as they always were for firebending practice.

“I’m really glad I get to learn firebending from you,” Aang added.

“Okay, lesson over for today,” Zuko said abruptly, still tense.

“But Sifu Hotman-” Aang protested.

“Twenty hotsquats,” Zuko ordered, before practically fleeing.

Aang huffed. He squatted. “One hotsquat-”

Sokka emerged from his hiding spot, shaking his head as he approached Aang and his dad. “This is worse than we thought.”

Hakoda hummed, hand on his chin, deep in thought.

“What’s worse?” Aang asked, still half-doing his hotsquats.

“Zuko doesn’t know how to take praise,” Sokka explained.

“But he’s fine with compliments,” Aang argued, hotsquats forgotten.

“Not from a father figure.” Aang blinked at Sokka, so he continued. “Think about how Ozai must have treated him. He probably doesn’t trust dads, because he doesn’t know how a good dad acts.”

“Oh.” Aang looked at Hakoda. “Is that why he’s been avoiding you?”

“We think so,” Hakoda confirmed.

“I say we take it to the next level,” Sokka suggested. “What if you and Zuko spent some time together? So he could become more comfortable with you.”

“That could work,” Hakoda agreed.

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Aang asked. “If he’s scared of you already, he might just tense up and be uncomfortable the whole time.”

“Good point,” Sokka agreed. “I’ll come with you guys.”

Hakoda nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

\---

“You guys better bring back actual fish this time,” Toph warned them.

“We will,” Sokka promised.

“I’m not sure why I have to come along,” Zuko argued.

“Me neither,” Katara said, arms crossed.

“Katara, he saved dad,” Sokka reminded her. “Don’t you trust him yet?”

She turned her face away, but it was a clear no.

“Come on, we should get going,” Hakoda said, putting his hand on Zuko’s shoulder.

Zuko jumped, and Sokka felt so sorry for him. Poor guy. If their mission wasn’t already to bring Ozai down, Sokka would be tempted to try and defeat him single-handedly for being such a terrible dad and leaving Zuko with so many issues. It was all there in Zuko’s wide-eyed stare at Hakoda.

\---

The shores of the island the Western Air Temple was situated upon were far enough away from the Fire Nation to be safe, but for his own comfort, Sokka preferred the northern side of the island anyway. Just in case.

They walked in silence, mostly, broken occasionally by Hakoda’s attempts to make conversation.

“Have you ever been fishing before?” Hakoda asked Zuko.

“Yeah,” Zuko said. He didn’t elaborate.

“When?” Sokka asked, to give him a little conversational nudge. He turned back to look at Zuko, who was walking behind them. Zuko was watching Hakoda’s back very closely.

“Hm?” Zuko tore his gaze away from Hakoda, blushing as his eyes met Sokka’s. He turned his face down to pick his way carefully down the rocky path. “Oh, uh. Some of the crewmen taught Uncle - when we were Avatar hunting? - and he insisted I learn how.”

“Are you any good?” Hakoda asked.

“Not really,” Zuko said.

“I bet we Water Tribe men can teach you a thing or two,” Hakoda said confidently.

There was the sound of scraping gravel as Zuko slipped. Sokka spun around to see his friend on the ground.

“I’m fine,” Zuko said hastily, putting his hand out so Hakoda wouldn’t come any closer. Hakoda paused.

Sokka continued, though, grabbing Zuko’s arm and pulling him up.

Hakoda turned and continued down the path, probably understanding that they needed a moment, and Zuko took the opportunity to whisper to Sokka, “Why did you do this to me?”

“I’m trying to help,” Sokka whispered back. “My dad’s nice, I want you to like him.”

“You…  _ want  _ me to like him?” Zuko repeated in disbelief.

Sokka shrugged. “Yeah? And, I mean, he likes you, so.”

Zuko took a deep breath, and sparks flickered on the exhale. “Let’s just. Fish.”

“Okay.”

Zuko pulled free of Sokka’s grasp and kept walking.

What was that all about?

\---

The sun off the water was bright, and in their small, shadeless canoe, the heat quickly became too much.

Sokka was the first to take his shirt off. In his defense, he’d never quite gotten used to how hot everything was outside the South Pole.

Hakoda probably hadn’t, either.

Zuko chose to suffer instead, because of course, Zuko was that kind of guy. It was obvious that Zuko was overheating, though; his skin was turning pink, and he was slow to react to things.

“You can take your shirt off, too,” Sokka told him, whispering so they wouldn’t disturb the fish.

“Um…” Zuko said. “No, I’m okay.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. The guy could remove his shirt to firebend with Aang, but now all of a sudden he was shy?

“How old are you, Zuko?” Hakoda asked, his voice as loud as normal, because he was determined both to be fatherly with Zuko and to scare off the fish.

“Sixteen,” Zuko answered quickly.

“You’re only a year older than Sokka.”

“Dad,  _ please _ .” They weren’t going to catch anything at this rate.

“Uh, yeah,” Zuko agreed.

“I’m glad Sokka has a friend his age,” Hakoda continued.

“ _ Dad _ ,” Sokka hissed again.

“I’m… glad to have him as a friend,” Zuko said.

“Aw, really?” Sokka sat up suddenly, fish forgotten, and the boat lurched.

Zuko nodded. “Yeah, you’re really smart, and you’re a good leader.”

“That he is,” Hakoda agreed. “You should’ve seen him planning the invasion on the day of the eclipse.”

Sokka blushed. His dad was  _ supposed  _ to be complimenting Zuko.

“I’m sure he was very impressive,” Zuko said.

“When I got injured, he took over and led my men.” Hakoda clapped Sokka’s shoulder. “I’m proud of the man he’s become.”

Zuko looked away. They were in danger of lapsing into heavy silence again, weighed down by the mess that was Zuko’s relationship with his own father.

“The two of you work really well together,” Hakoda said.

“Yeah, we do,” Zuko agreed, with a shy smile.

_ Finally _ , an appropriate reaction to a compliment. They were getting somewhere.

Sokka saw a glint in the water, and quick as lightning, his spear was cutting towards it.

He raised his spear out of the water, fish successfully skewered.

“Good job,” Hakoda said.

“Thanks, dad.” Sokka twisted so he could hold the spear-point over the boat, and he pushed the fish off the end of the spear. It flopped into the bottom of the canoe.

“Toph’ll be happy,” Zuko said, and his voice came from much closer behind Sokka than Sokka had thought, hovering over his shoulder. Sokka jumped.

In Sokka’s hurry to turn to look at him, he bumped into Zuko, who tried to sit back too quickly and instead tumbled out of the boat.

Sokka spun around. He missed the splash, but he caught Zuko surfacing.

Zuko shook his dark hair out of his eyes, treading water.

“You okay, son?” Hakoda asked. The canoe’s rocking was subsiding.

Zuko nodded. “Yeah, I can swim.” He added, “Did you just call me son?”

“Slipped out,” Hakoda said, with a crooked, mischievous grin.

“Um. Okay.” Zuko kept treading.

“Do you… want to get back in?” Sokka asked.

“How?” Zuko asked.

Right.

This wasn’t usually an issue at the South Pole, where  _ out of the boat _ meant  _ into icy water _ and was to be avoided at all costs. Which was part of why ice dodging was a rite of passage: everyone needed to know how to stay in the canoe no matter what.

But Zuko had never gone ice dodging, and the boats he was used to were significantly bigger than their canoe.

“Maybe the boat’ll be more stable if…” Sokka scooted down towards the end of the canoe - where Zuko had been sitting - and with his dad on the opposite end… no, that didn’t work.

But Zuko was already grabbing the side to pull himself up. Sokka leaned the other way to counterbalance; Hakoda did, too.

Zuko hoisted himself up and collapsed into the bottom of the boat, rolling so that he was on his back. He rolled into Hakoda, wiggling to bring his feet inside with the rest of him.

“Here,” Hakoda said, helping Zuko sit up with a hand under his elbow. “You should take your shirt off to dry.”

Zuko jerked away from Hakoda, and Sokka’s spirits fell. Zuko’s instinctive reaction to fathers was still fear. Zuko said hoarsely, “I’m good.”

Sokka decided to lighten the mood with a joke. “That was incredibly graceful, ten out of ten.”

“Shut up,” Zuko muttered, reaching over and shoving Sokka.

“Where’s the fish?” Sokka asked, well aware of the answer and waiting for Zuko to put it together.

“It better not have fallen…” Zuko felt around for it. “Oh.”

He lifted his hips and slid the fish out from under him.

“We’ll just not tell Toph that happened,” Sokka suggested.

“Yeah,” Zuko agreed.

“The other fish were probably scared away,” Hakoda said.

“Oh.” Zuko sounded downcast. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Hakoda said.

Zuko pushed his bangs off his forehead. “We could wait?”

“Aw, you’re having fun?” Sokka grinned.

Zuko shrugged. “It’s not as bad as I thought it’d be.”

“That’s the slogan for all of our adventures,” Sokka said. “Not as bad as Zuko thought it’d be.”

Zuko laughed, and the sound made Sokka feel warm.

“What do we want to talk about while we wait?” Sokka asked, situating himself so he’d be able to lean against the side of the boat and slouch.

“Got a girlfriend back home?” Hakoda asked Zuko.

Behind Zuko, Sokka smacked his forehead. But it was too late to take the question back.

“Um,” Zuko said. He stared into the water. “Mai. She, um, she was the girl with the knives? Who got caught saving us.”

“Oh.”

“It’s… our relationship was rocky anyway,” Zuko confessed. “But I care about her a lot.”

“I’m sure she’s okay,” Sokka reassured him.

“Right,” Hakoda agreed. “You kids’ll be smooching again in no time.”

Zuko made a strange, high-pitched noise at that.

“You okay?” Sokka checked.

“No, yeah, I’m good,” Zuko said, sitting up straighter. “Um. How did you meet Suki?”

Sokka smiled just thinking about her. “Oh, well, she and the other Kyoshi Warriors actually captured us.”

“How all good love stories start,” Zuko deadpanned.

Sokka narrowed his eyes at him. Given Zuko’s history with them, the implications of the joke were strange. “You’re not into Katara, are you?”

“What? No,” Zuko said, and Sokka was slightly offended at the disgusted face Zuko made. What was wrong with Katara? “She’s… great, and pretty, and I can see why someone would be… attracted to her-”

“It’s okay if you are,” Hakoda said gently, his hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “I won’t be mad.”

Zuko’s face was very red. He wouldn’t meet either of their gazes. “I’m not into Katara. Promise.”

“We could probably put in a good word,” Sokka offered, hand on Zuko’s other shoulder. Zuko was warm even through the damp fabric. “Tell her that you’re smart, funny, yadda ya…”

“Right,” Hakoda agreed. “I could recount how you helped break me out of prison. Remind her how brave and selfless you are... ”

“ _ Really _ not necessary,” Zuko said, his voice an octave higher than normal. Annoyingly, it will still as deep or deeper than Sokka’s normal voice. “I’m… into someone else.”

“Oh, right, Mai,” Sokka remembered.

“Pity,” Hakoda said. “I’d be proud to have a man like you marry into our family.”

Zuko cleared his throat. “That’s very kind of you, sir.”

“Please, call me Hakoda,” he insisted.

“Ha… Hakoda,” Zuko said.

All in all, the trip went pretty well.

\---

So Sokka was surprised when Zuko pulled him aside, once they were back at the Western Air Temple. “Did you do that on purpose?”

“Do what?” Sokka asked, confused.

“That was one of the most painful days of my life, and I have this,” Zuko pointed to his scar, “on my  _ face _ .”

Sokka was offended. “I’m trying to help!”

“Well,  _ stop it _ ,” Zuko snapped. He stormed off.

“What was that about?” Suki asked, walking up to Sokka.

“Oh, Zuko’s uncomfortable around dads,” Sokka answered.

Suki pursed her lips in silent amusement. “What makes you say that?”

“He gets weird whenever Dad compliments him, and he never wants to be in the same room as him, and he turns red and watches him closely,” Sokka complained.

Suki’s silent amusement continued.

“What?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.” She bit her lip. “May I ask… what you’re doing about this problem?”

“Just trying to get him to spend more time with Dad, and Dad’s praising him more-”

“Your dad - sorry, your dad is in on this?” Suki asked.

“Yes?” Sokka couldn’t understand her disbelief. “What’s so funny?”

Suki shook her head, her eyes too wide and innocent-looking. “Nothing.”

“Suuuuuki,” Sokka whined. “We’re not supposed to have secrets.”

She put her hands on her hips. “When did we agree on that?”

“We’re a couple,” Sokka said.

“But this isn’t related to us,” Suki explained. “And, to be honest, I don’t think it’s your business? Maybe you should leave Zuko alone.”

Sokka pouted.

“That came out meaner than I meant it to, but you get what I mean, right?” Suki said, softer.

“Yeah.” Sokka huffed. “I just… I want to help him. He’s been through a lot.”

“I know,” Suki said. “But maybe it’s better if you let Zuko deal with his emotions in his own time.”

Sokka nodded. “Right.”

If Suki was confirming what Zuko himself had said, then maybe Sokka really  _ should  _ give this up.

\---

Sokka went back on that less than a day later, when he watched Zuko walk outside to where Sokka knew Hakoda and Katara were chatting, turn around, and walk right back inside and into Sokka himself.

“Sokka,” Zuko said, trying to play it casual. “How are you?”

“Look, I know you’ve got issues with your dad and everything, but you can just go talk to him,” Sokka said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of Hakoda and Katara, two rooms away.

“ _ My _ dad?” Zuko narrowed his eyes. “What do you think this is about?”

“You obviously don’t trust father figures!”

Zuko laughed. “Sokka, I had my uncle. I had fatherly love and affection, I’m used to it.”

“But-” Sokka protested. “You’re weird around  _ my  _ dad.”

Pink began to creep across Zuko’s features. “Um. Yeah.”

“So then why…?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Sokka told him.

Zuko sighed. “I’m aware.”

“I mean, you know that he doesn’t hate you or anything…” Sokka thought aloud.

Zuko was silent.

“But you still get weird whenever he touches you or…” It finally dawned on Sokka that the easiest explanation for Zuko’s behavior was a crush. “Oh, ew!”

Zuko winced. “Sorry.”

“You have a crush on my dad?!” Sokka barely remembered to keep himself from shouting, with Hakoda nearby.

Zuko shrugged.

“Why?” Sokka demanded.

“He’s really attractive!” Zuko raised his shoulders defensively.

The funny side of it caught up with Sokka then, and he found himself torn. When in doubt, make a joke. “He’s like, super old.” Half of a joke, then.

Zuko rolled his eyes. “He’s not  _ that  _ old.”

“He’s old enough to be  _ your  _ dad.”

“I know.”

“Ooh, new plan for defeating Ozai. Step one: I seduce him. Step two: I become your new dad. Step three: Azula’s grounded. Step four: I murder Ozai and take the crown for myself-”

“Sokka, please-”

“I’m not done!” Sokka said, delighted. “Come on, Zuko, I’ll give you egg custard tarts and a polar bear puppy! Your bedtime will be never!”

“I’m gonna marry your dad first and you’re grounded!” Zuko shot back.

“What’s happening?”

Zuko spun to face Katara. And, unfortunately, Hakoda.

Well, then.

“How much did you hear?” Sokka asked. He had been too caught up in making fun of Zuko. Zuko, who was very, very red, and possibly steaming. Or smoking? Some sort of vapor was wafting from his hair.

“Uh… I heard Zuko threaten to marry our dad?” Katara said, apparently bewildered.

Hakoda smiled, to Sokka’s surprise. “Well, this isn’t how we wanted you to find out, but kids, meet your new father.”

Because of course Hakoda would play along.

Zuko looked about ready to combust. (Could firebenders actually do that?)

“I think Katara would actually murder him,” Sokka joked, to try and divert some of the pressure away from Zuko. After all, Zuko couldn’t help who he had a crush on, even if it was super gross.

“I’m not… marrying anyone,” Zuko said, waving his hands and shaking his head.

Katara glared at him for a moment before stomping away.

“She’ll come around,” Hakoda promised. He winked at Zuko before following Katara.

Zuko watched him leave, eyes wide.

“ _ Stop looking at my dad like that! _ ” Sokka whisper-shouted.

“Are you going to look like that?” Zuko asked, his eyes still fixed on Hakoda.

_ What? _

“What?”

“When you’re older.” His eyes flicked back to Sokka, and he blushed again. “Um. I was just wondering.”

Sokka shrugged. “How should I know?”

And, okay. Sokka might be oblivious, as recent events had revealed, but Zuko was definitely checking him out, scanning down and then back up.

“Don’t tell anyone?” Zuko said, finally.

“Uh, sure.” Sokka would not repeat any of this to anyone upon threat of death; the mixture of funny and awkward that was Zuko’s crush on Hakoda had become just awkward, and the butterflies in Sokka’s stomach at Zuko’s soft smile defied explanation.

Zuko grinned. “I won’t marry your dad if you don’t marry mine.”

He held his hand out, and Sokka shook it.

_ What a weird pact _ , he thought to himself as he watched Zuko leave, his eyes wide.

Several weeks with Zuko now, and Sokka had to agree with his initial assessment: this was really, really weird.

(But maybe in a good way?)

**Author's Note:**

> “Might I suggest some “i’ll be your man (if you’ve got love to get done)” to go with this fic?”  
> \- my impression of a sommelier but for fanfics
> 
> Also, headcanon that Zuko uses his scar to win arguments, once he's processed the trauma.


End file.
